1955 Mercedes-Benz 190-Series

In 1954. Mercedes introduced its two-door 190SL at the New York Auto Show. Fifteen months later the production version was displayed at the 1955 Geneva Auto Show. This is one of only 1727 units made in it's inaugural year. 1955. The car became very popular. outselling it's higher end counter part - the 300SL - by eight to one. The 190SL production run lasted from 1955 through 1963. Most of the body-styles were open roadsters the rest were coupes. Under the hood is an 1897 cc four-cylinder OHC engine that was capable of producing around 105 horsepower. It took 14. 5 seconds to go from zero to sixty and had a top speed of nearly 110 mph. Drum brakes were placed on all four corners of the 14 foot. one inch vehicle. Servo brakes were optional until 1956 at which point they became standard. In comparison to many other nameplates. this is a very low number. guarantying its exclusivity and rarity in today's standards. It was a beautiful sibling to the prestigious and awe-inspiring gullwing door 300SL. The restoration of this beautiful example was completed in 2012. It is a 3 owner. numbers matching car. documented by Mercedes Benz. Much care has been taken to ensure originality in the restoration process. from the original Bosch headlight trim rings down to the original spare and jack in the trunk. The problematic Solex carburetors have been replaced with Webers to improve drive-ability. but the original carbs come with the car. The 1955 year was unique in that it has the goldwing style seats. making this first production year even more collectible. The car runs and drives great. with only a few hundred miles on it since restoration. A show stopper from any angle that would make any collection proud.